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Purchasing Brochure

How to Order Office Supplies for Your Department

The Procurement Process

It is the intent that the District procures all materials, supplies, and services
that best conform to District products, and services at the lowest overall price.
To help insure this, the District obtains prices from qualified vendors through established
competitive bid procedures set forth by Board Policy, Administrative Rules, Public
Contract Code, and Education Code requirements.

Bidding requirements

For purchases of less than $5,000--Competitive bidding is not required. Such items
may be purchased from any vendor offering the required goods or services at a reasonable
price.

Any purchase estimated to have a total cost to the District of $5,000 to $9,999 shall
be awarded through the evaluation of no less than two verbal quotations.

Any purchase estimated to have a total cost to the District of $10,000 to $19,999
shall be awarded through the evaluation of no less than two written quotations.

Any purchase estimated to have a total cost to the District of $20,000 -$88,299 shall
be awarded through the evaluation of no less than three written quotations.

Quotes may be obtained by telephone, via e-mail and/or in writing from the vendor.
Copies of written quotes must be obtained for goods or services items between $10,000
and $88,299.

Purchases over $88,300 except for public works projects

Formal bidding is required for a single item or an aggregate of like items (i.e. copier
paper) that cost $88,300 dollars or more. Formal bidding requires that the user department
write specifications describing the needed goods or services. Bid splitting is prohibited.

The department needing these materials or service will supply the Purchasing Department
detailed specifications and an approved purchase requisition. The specifications are
reviewed to ensure that the specifications are complete and in the proper form. The
contract must be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder, or the District must reject
all bids.

Formal bids require a public advertisement that must be published once a week for
two weeks in a local newspaper.

Public Works Projects

Public projects and construction services projects less than $45,000 may be performed
by District employees, by force account, by negotiated contract, or by purchase order.

The Contractor shall not commence the work until the contractor has submitted and
the District has approved required certificate(s) and affidavit(s), and the endorsement(s)
of insurance. The Maintenance and Operations department performs the inspection and
acceptance of the contractors work.

The District Public works contracts over $45, 000 are subject to the Uniform Public
Cost Accounting Act (Act’s). All public works projects valued over $45,000 to $175,000
may be awarded through the Act’s informal bidding procedures. Contracts for work valued
at more than $175,000 must be awarded through the Act’s formal bidding procedures.

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